Notar means 'to notice', and it is a regular -ar verb useful for description and reflection. Noté un cambio (I noticed a change), se nota que estás cansado (you can tell you're tired). The impersonal se nota que… ('you can tell that…') is a particularly natural, idiomatic structure worth having. Because noticing details adds depth to descriptive and narrative writing, notar is a handy verb. As a regular -ar verb the conjugation is predictable. Take care not to confuse it with the English 'note down', which is apuntar or anotar.
Quick facts
Notar (to notice) is a regular -ar verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
Noté un cambio (I noticed a change).
Se nota que… (you can tell that…).
Adds depth to descriptive writing.
For that, use apuntar / anotar.
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
Notar is a regular verb. Make sure you know the endings for each tense — especially the preterite and subjunctive, which is where marks are most often lost.
notar is a regular -ar verb — it follows the standard -ar pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know notar, you know the template for all regular -ar verbs.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice notar now →Three questions. Press Enter to check each answer.
yo: noto, tú: notas, él: nota, nosotros: notamos, vosotros: notáis, ellos: notan
Notar is a regular -ar verb following the standard -ar pattern.
Use notar in multiple tenses to show range — present, preterite and future at minimum. This is a key criterion for higher GCSE marks.
Verbs that are easy to confuse with notar or that behave like it.
This reference is written for UK GCSE and A-Level Spanish learners and their teachers. It is designed for exam revision: every form is checked against standard conjugation rules, and the examples reflect the registers and topics that come up in the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas specifications. Notar is a high-frequency verb and appears often in exam papers. For active recall, use the free practice tool rather than only reading the tables.
Last updated 2 August 2026. Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.